Officials: Obama aides split on arming rebels WASHINGTON (AP) — Despite growing alarm over the Syrian government’s military advances, Obama administration officials are split over whether to arm the country’s rebel forces or make other military moves that would deepen U.S. involvement in the conflict. President Barack Obama’s top national security advisers met at the White House on Wednesday to air their differences. The administration’s caution persists despite its nearly two-year-old de...

Mississippi commemorates Evers’ civil rights work JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — Civil rights leader Medgar Evers helped create a more inclusive and open Mississippi by increasing black voter registration, Gov. Phil Bryant said Wednesday during a service marking the 50th anniversary of Evers’ assassination. A racially diverse crowd of more than 150 people gathered outside the Mississippi Museum of Art in downtown Jackson for speeches, gospel singing and the ringing of bells to remember the NAACP leade...

Judge: Supreme Court sign ban unconstitutional WASHINGTON (AP) — In a case that could end with the Supreme Court deciding how much free speech to allow on its own doorstep, a federal judge has thrown out a law barring processions and expressive banners on the Supreme Court grounds. The law is so broad, the judge said, that it could criminalize preschool students parading on their first field trip to the high court. Harold Hodge Jr. was arrested on the Supreme Court plaza in January 2011 wh...

Feds: Bulger at center of murder, mayhem in Boston BOSTON (AP) — A federal prosecutor said in opening statements Wednesday at James “Whitey” Bulger’s racketeering trial that the reputed mobster was at the center of “murder and mayhem” in Boston for almost 30 years, while the defense attacked the credibility of the government’s star witnesses. Prosecutor Brian Kelly told jurors that Bulger headed the violent Winter Hill Gang that “ran amok” in Boston for nearly three decades, killing 19 people,...

Committee rejects overhaul of military justice WASHINGTON (AP) — Siding with the Pentagon’s top brass, the Senate Armed Services Committee approved legislation Wednesday to keep commanders involved in deciding whether to prosecute sexual assault cases, rejecting an aggressive plan to stem sex-related crimes in the armed forces by overhauling the military justice system. By a vote of 17-9, the committee passed a bill crafted by its chairman, Sen. Carl Levin, D-Mich., designed to increase pr...

Hands-free texting still distracting for drivers WASHINGTON (AP) — Using voice commands to send text messages and emails from behind the wheel, which is marketed as a safer alternative for drivers, actually is more distracting and dangerous than simply talking on a cellphone, a new AAA study found. Automakers have been trying to excite new-car buyers, especially younger ones, with dashboard infotainment systems that let drivers use voice commands do things like turning on windshield wipers, ...

AG OKs wording of Medicaid ballot measureLITTLE ROCK (AP) — The attorney general’s office on Tuesday approved the wording of a ballot measure aimed at repealing a plan Arkansas lawmakers approved this year to use federal Medicaid money to purchase private insurance for thousands of low-income workers. Attorney General Dustin McDaniel certified the proposed referendum measure on the “private option,” clearing the way for supporters to gather signatures to place it on the November 2014...

Agency: Opting for overdrafts means higher fees WASHINGTON (AP) — A U.S. agency says consumers who opt for overdraft coverage on their checking accounts pay higher fees and are more likely to have their accounts closed than those who decline it. A report by the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau released Tuesday says it’s hard for consumers to anticipate and avoid overdraft charges. It found that the cost for “opting in” for overdraft coverage varies widely from one bank to the next. Cust...

Congress briefed on US surveillance programs WASHINGTON (AP) — Dogged by fear and confusion about sweeping spy programs, intelligence officials sought to convince House lawmakers in an unusual briefing Tuesday that the government’s years-long collection of phone records and Internet usage is necessary for protecting Americans — and does not trample on their privacy rights. But the country’s main civil liberties organization wasn’t buying it, filing the most significant lawsuit against th...

Immigration debate clears procedural Senate hurdle WASHINGTON (AP) — In Spanish and English, the Senate pushed contentious immigration legislation over early procedural hurdles with deceptive ease on Tuesday as President Barack Obama insisted the “moment is now” to give 11 million immigrants in the United States illegally a chance at citizenship. Despite the lopsided votes, Republicans served notice they will seek to toughen the bill’s border security provisions and impose tougher terms on tho...

More Americans quit jobs, a sign of confidence WASHINGTON (AP) — More Americans are quitting their jobs, suggesting many are growing more confident in the job market. The Labor Department said Tuesday that the number of people who quit their jobs in April jumped 7.2 percent to 2.25 million. That’s just below February’s level, which was the highest in 4 1/2 years. Overall hiring also picked up in April, though not as dramatically. Employers filled 4.4 million jobs in April, a 5 percent incr...

Energy officials land summer jobs for their kids WASHINGTON (AP) — At least a dozen children or other relatives of Energy Department officials have received summer jobs at the department in apparent violation of federal nepotism rules, an agency watchdog said Monday. Inspector General Gregory Friedman said in a report that one senior Energy Department official was actively involved in securing summer jobs for his three college-aged children, including two who ended up getting jobs in the div...

Burkhalter, Curry to run for Arkansas lieutenant governorLITTLE ROCK (AP) — A member of the Arkansas Highway Commission and the president of the Little Rock school board announced Tuesday they're running for lieutenant governor, setting up a contested Democratic primary as the party tries to rebound from recent Republican gains in the state. Highway Commissioner John Burkhalter announced he was running for the office next year, opting out a race for governor that he had been mulling over the past ye...

More than $5,000 spent on petition for Walmart referendumA financial report filed with the Arkansas Ethics Commission last month showed $5,340 was spent gathering signatures for a referendum petition related to a zoning ordinance that would allow for construction of a Walmart Neighborhood Market in Russellville. The report, filed May 16, stated Skyline Joint Venture LLC paid $5,015 to 17 signature canvassers and $325 to the UPS Store for copying. A separate document filed with the Ethics Commission ...

Quorum Court tables millage voteThe Pope County Quorum Court tabled a vote Thursday on a proposed one mill increase for the county’s general fund. County Judge Jim Ed Gibson said that the vote, had it taken place, would only have been a formality. State statute dictates the court set the county’s millage each year in November. Justice David Ivy, the sponsor who requested the proposed increase be added to the agenda, said a vote would gauge where members of the court stood on...

Yell County Quorum CourtThe Yell County Quorum Court met in Regular Session on May 13 at the Courthouse in Danville, with Judge Mark Thone presiding. Those answering roll call were: Carter, Crawford, Greg Dixon, Garner, Keathley, Robinson, Martin, Randall, Spencer and Hicks. Absent was Bob Dixon. The following items took place at the meeting: • Judge Thone reported that because of the better weather the county has been able to get a lot of good road work done. “I kno...

Election Commission talks early votingThe Pope County Election Commission met Wednesday to clarify early voting times for the Aug. 13 special election. The early voting times will be Aug. 6-12 on weekdays from 8 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. The times are determined by the county clerk’s regular office hours. There is a good possibility that another special election will be held. The September school board election may be held through early voting only except in Dover. This would occur if the...

Quorum Court today to vote on millage hikeThe Pope County Quorum Court will consider today a proposed a one mill increase for the county’s general fund. The item was added to the agenda by Justice David Ivy, who said it is time to get serious about determining a solution to the county’s budget concerns. “I think we need to know now where we stand on that (millage increase),” he said. Members of the court’s Budget Committee discussed Tuesday possible solutions to the county’s increasin...

Dover council discusses SROThe chief point of discussion at the Dover City Council Tuesday evening was hiring an experienced school resource officer for the Dover School District. The Council stated it would like to hire a new resource officer on a three-year term. The officer will be an employee of the city, but Dover schools would pay the officer’s salary and benefits. The officer will also be at the disposal of the city for assignments. Dover Marshal Rodney Pfiefer t...

Beebe asks for $1.1M for health education aid LITTLE ROCK, Ark. (AP) - Gov. Mike Beebe on Wednesday asked to use $1.1 million from a state reserve fund to make up for a shortfall in a program that helps students pursuing medical degrees that Arkansas schools don't offer pay for tuition at schools in other states. Beebe said he'll seek legislative approval to help the Arkansas Health Education Grants program using money from the state's Rainy Day Fund, which will have $34.4 million startin...